Camera toss photos can be wonderful, but they're notoriously hard to pull off. Nikon just filed a patent for a technology that would make high-flying photography a snap. Does Nikon seriously want people to throw their cameras?

Timing the throw so that the shutter fires exactly at the apex when the lens is pointing in the right direction can be very tough. Nikon's patent would use an accelerometer to detect the trajectory of a throw and snap photos at the right moment during a throw. And since throwing your camera into the air is a fantastic way to destroy your camera, the patent also mentions some protection for the landing.

After the camera snaps the photos, it could retract the lens automatically so that your first easy to use photo doesn't end up being your last. [PetaPixel via egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp]